The Strongest One
by ngrey651
Summary: Dan Hibiki, founder of the Strongest Style tells a little story about how he went from champion...to loser...and then to champion all over again. One shot.


**THE STRONGEST ONE**

It's not easy being me.

And me is being Dan. Dan Hibiki.

That's right. You all know who I am. I've been made fun of for a long time. A LONG time. And everyone calls me weak.

Myself included.

Yeah, yeah. I know I established the "_Saikyou-ryuu_" or "_Saikyo style_" of fighting. It's meant to be the strongest. And it's not. I've been a failure for a long time…

I didn't use to be a failure. I used to be an ordinary kid.

It was my DAD that was the special one.

My dad was Go Hibiki. You might have heard of him…he was one of Sagat's greatest rivals. How good was he?

Know that eyepatch ol' baldy's got? My dad did that. That's right. MY DAD. Dan the loser's dad put out Sagat's eye.

Sagat didn't like that.

It was an exhibition match. My dad had just given Sagat the biggest jab you ever saw! Sagat was on the ground, I was cheering, jumping up and down. Dad turned to face me. He gave me a thumbs up…

Sagat jumped up.

A few minutes later I was sobbing as my dad was beaten to death.

My mom was shattered. I had no brothers or sisters. I had nobody to turn to. Nothing to do. Except…

Get even.

So I went to Gouken's dojo. "Train me." I begged. He agreed.

A few years later he expelled me. Before I could really learn the BEST stuff. He figured out what I wanted.

"You cannot allow revenge to cloud your judgement."

"I won't!"

"It already has, Dan-san. It already has."

I was outta there faster than you can say ready, set, go.

So I developed my own style! I took a style of Ansatsuken, merged it with Muay Thai elements and called it _Saikyou-ryuu_. "The Strongest Style".

I entered the Street Fighter Alpha 3 tournament.

I won.

NOT.

Sagat threw the match. I thought I'd won. A few weeks after I'd started up my own school of fighting, I was teaching my students a brand new technique, just one day before I was to appear in an exhibition match with Sagat…

* * *

**21 days after the events of Street Fighter Alpha 3…**

Dan held his head high as faced his fresh-faced, eager young class. Little Charlie, sitting in front, grinned and smiled. Dan gave him a thumbs up. He brushed his brown hair back, and his ponytail flapped lightly in the air-conditioned breeze of the Saikyo School of Fighting.

"Well class, I want to say that you've all done really well during these few weeks since I started my school. I couldn't ask for a better starting class. Already hundreds more people are checking out my school and are signing up, and you're going to go out next week into the big world…and you'll make me proud. Every single one of you."

His class cheered. Charlie beamed. His slightly curly blond hair glistened with sweat in the light of the school. They'd just finished a Gadoken practice session, and Charlie's Gadoken was the farthest flying. Charlie had joined up because he

Wanted to make his mommy proud.

Wanted to make his daddy (who was always away) proud.

Wanted to defend himself from those nasty bullies that made fun of his big, "retarded" grin.

"Now it's time for your final test." Dan said, drawing himself to full height, allowing a sense of confidence to fill his voice…though this wasn't new. "I have a NEW move to show all of you. If you can copy it…you'll be ready to pass. If not, you'll have to stay after school, where I'll help you with it until you DO get it. Okay?"

Everyone cheered. "And I'll buy the first one to get it dinner!" Dan added. Louder cheers, and a few big smiles, especially from Charlie. Dan grinned. "Okay…now everyone over to the practice room."

Once inside, Dan had everyone stand far away from him as he got on the practice mat. A huge dummy stood about 15 feet in front of him. "Now, this is a complicated technique." Dan said. "It'll require all of your spirit energy to pull of. Focus your energy…"

Dan pressed both of his hands against his chest, and concentrated, eyebrows furrowing. Then he suddenly rushed forward with unbelievable speed, grabbing the dummy. He growled, and closed his eyes. His muscles bulged as he squeezed the dummy in a death grip.

Everyone gasped. Dan shouted out "_OTOKO MICHI_!" (Way of Man) at the top of his lungs, his soul crying out.

A huge explosion. The dummy was ripped apart. Dan fell to the ground, groaning. He stood up and shook the cobwebs outta his head and faced his class, giving them a large grin and a thumbs up. "That's the Otoko Michi move. Use it as a weapon of last resort, when nothing else has worked. It's basically a suicide move except for the STRONGEST of fighters…which includes everyone here, am I right?" Everyone cheered. Danny jumped in the air, yelling "YEAH!". Dan smiled at him and gave him a huge grin. "Now, I'm gonna go get more dummies. Everyone gather up their spirit energy!"

One by one the students performed the move. Almost all of them got it, save for a few. Charlie pulled off a very nice explosion, blowing the dummy's head, arms and legs off with his Otoko Michi. Dan patted him on the shoulder and said "Well done, Charlie. You're ready."

But Charlie wasn't there to get his official gradutation diploma from Dan when it was time to go. Dan frowned. What was wrong with Charlie? Where as he? He should be really eager to get it…

That afternoon, after school, Dan had just finished helping up the students who had had trouble with the Otoko Michi move. He waved goodbye as they walked out the door and walked over to his little refrigerator, located in his office. "Boy, I'm thirsty." He said, opening the top of the soda bottle.

Then Charlie opened the door. "Uh, Dan-Sensei?" Dan looked up, surprised. "Charlie! How come you didn't want-"

"I need to practice my Otoko Michi." "Huh? But it was amazing!" "No, it's not…I got this…this pain in my chest when I did it…"

Dan nodded. "I see…you want to do it without hurting yourself really badly?" "Yeah…" "Well, I'll do what I can."

It took two hours, but Dan finally helped Charlie to improve his technique. The pre-teen grinned up at his master. "Thanks, Dan-sensei!" He said, plopping down on the ground and sipping his soda with Dan. Dan nodded. "No problem." "You're the best, Dan!" "I know." Dan said, grinning. They both laughed. "My mom is gonna be so proud to see my techniques." Charlie said. "She really wanted me to succeed." "She'll be proud, I'm sure. I know I am." "Dan, thank you for teaching me all of this. Now I won't get picked on anymore." "It's nothing! I just want to show everyone the greatness of Saikyo!"

Charlie suddenly hugged Dan, who dropped his soda bottle. "No, really! Thanks, Dan! You're the best!" Dan blinked slowly, then returned the hug. "Naw…you're the best." He said.

That night, Dan went to a bar, and was sipping his Sake when the bum's rush hit him. He ran for the toilet, and plopped down. He'd finished and was done wiping, about to get up, when he heard a voice…

"What an idiot."

"Yeah. Dan Hibiki thinks he's all that. He doesn't even know Sagat threw the match."

"What a loser."

"He'll never make it big."

Dan waited for them to leave. Then he blew the door off with a single punch and a scream. He ran out of the bathroom, out the door, sobbing, covering his face with one arm.

He ran to his school. He locked the door. He ran into his office and got on both knees, and cried himself to sleep.

"Daddy…Daddy…I…didn't do it…I'm a failure…I didn't avenge you…I…I'm a LOSER…wuaaahahh…."

* * *

**Present…**

I've got five minutes. Then I go out there.

And suck it up.

Strongest style.

HA.

Strongest style my _denbu_. (Butt)

I didn't avenge my father. I really lost. I didn't win. He threw the match. My strongest style sucks.

I'm gonna throw in the towel.

I walked up the stairs to the arena. Sagat grinned nastily at me. His bald head shines in the light.

"I heard you cried like a little girl last night at the bar. I should have expected you'd react like tha-"

"Shut up. Let's get this over with."

The referee looked at us, then at the crowd. He raised his hand.

"_SOU_!" (Start!")

BAM! A punch sent me flying. I hit the opposite end and lay still. "What's the point?" I thought. "I'll never win. I'm Dan Hibiki, the loser. Always have been. Always will be. Daddy was the strong one. I'm always gonna be-"

Then I saw a flash of yellow hair.

I opened my eyes better. Charlie, upside-down from my view, looked into my eyes.

"Dan-sensei? Are you alright?"

"_No, really! Thanks, Dan! You're the best!"_

I smiled. I got up.

"You're the best, Charlie." I said. I looked over at Sagat. He blinked stupidly, then rushed at me. I ducked and got him with an uppercut. He staggered back, and I jabbed over and over. I kicked him in the chin and he flew back, landing on the ground. He staggered up, clutching his head.

"What the? How did you…you should be dead by now!"

I rushed forward. I grabbed him. He looked down, amazed. I looked up into his single eye and grinned.

"I am Dan Hibiki. My father was Go Hibiki. _Now I will avenge him!_"

I focused.

My grip tightened.

Sagat gasped.

Charlie grinned.

"OTOKO MICHI!" I screamed.

Black and white everywhere. Pain. Intense. Biting. I didn't let go.

Finally it ended. I let him go. He flopped to the ground, looking dazed. The ref walked over.

_Ichi! Ni! San!_ (One! Two! Three!)

"_Nyuusensha_…Hibiki!" (Winner…Hibiki!) 

I grinned at the audience, giving Charlie an extra-special thumbs up. I looked at everyone, as their cheers grew louder, as my grin got wider, ALMOST matching Charlie's. I raised my fist to the air, and I could have sworn I felt another touching it…

My voice rang through the arena.

**"I, DAN HIBIKI…AM THE STRONGEST ONE!"**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Not bad, I think. Not bad for a second try at all.

I know that some of you are asking me...why? Why Dan Hibiki? Dan's a joke character, right? Someone you MIGHT pick if you were stranded on a desert island and there was no one else to play as on your game. He can't do much.

But...

But he has true heart.

Dan is a loser. But because he is, he'll always be trying harder. Always trying his best to win. And when he wins, it's spectacular...because he really IS an underdog! And I like underdogs.

Yeah he's silly. But the world needs a clown.

Yeah, he's overconfident. But that's why he always gets back up.

Dan Hibiki really is a champion in his own way. He's the greatest of all the losers, no, a WINNER out of many, many losers in the world. Deep down he has a true champion's soul.

And when people realize that they must fight for the sake of others...

Then they become the strongest ones.


End file.
